Car-coupling



(No Model.)

G. W. SMILLIE.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 416,187. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

oljdlcgrzpher. Waahfnglu UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE V. SMILLIE, OF NEXVARK, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,187, datedDecember 3,1889;

Application filed June 26, 1889. Serial No. 315,640. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE V. SMILLIE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Newark, Essex county, and State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers; and it consists, first, in theform and construction of the draw-head and of the hinged locking device, which latter is that part of the coupler adapted to engage andlock with the connecting-coupler, whereby the same will keep its properposition in the draw-head of thecoupler and in engagement with theconnectingcoupler in case of the loss or breakage of the pivot or thecoupling-pin, or both, and in other details of construction, to bereferred to hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a car-coupler of simpleconstruction and of few parts, thereby rendering the same less liable toget out of order and at the same time possess the greatest strength anddurability, and also of such construction that its locking or engagingjaw or arm will remain locked or connected with the engaging-coupler incase of loss or breakage of either the pivot or the coupling-pin, orboth, theimportance of which will be readily understood by those skilledin the art.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a top plan view showingtwo of my improved couplers in engagement; Fig. 2, a horizontalsectional view of the same; and Fig. 3, a top plan view showing amodification, to be referred to hereinafter.

In the drawings, A represents the d raw-bar; B, the draw-head, providedwith two projecting arms or extensions 1) b, the latter being formed bya recess 1), cut into the front wall of the draw-head, for the admissionof the lockingjaw of the engaging coupler, as clearly shown in thedrawings. To one of said arms or extensions an S-shaped, or nearly so,locking device is hinged at or near its forward angle, as shown, theforward arm or extension c of which forms alockingjaw adapted to engageor look with a corresponding jaw in an engagingcoupler, as shown, and onits inner engaging-surface is slightly cut away or rounded, in'a manner,as shown, to allow the drawing points of the locking-jaws to operate onone another as a socketed hinged joint to avoid friction when roundingcurves, &c.,' there being more or less slack between the jaws, as shown,the advantage of which will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art, and the rear hookshaped arm 0 of said locking device extendsand operates within a correspondingly-shaped opening or recess 6 locatedin the side of said draw-head B, as clearly shown, and is adapted toengage with the front wall of said opening or recess b when the forwardextension or locking-jaw c is in a locked position with anengaging-coupler, to act as a supplementary or safety lock, inconnection with the locking-pin, to hold the locking-jaw in engagementwith its connecting-jaw in case of breakage of the pivot-pine, uponwhich said locking-arm is hinged, as 'will be readily understood bythose skilled in the art. Said rear arm or extension 0 of the lockingdevice C also forms a support for the lockingpin (represented at D) whenthe latter is raised from engagement with said locking device C at theforward end of the rear hook-. shaped extension or catch 0 at whichpoint it is adapted to engage the latter, as clearly shown. .W'hen thelocking-jaw c connects with an engaging-coupler, the locking-pin Dprevents said rear arm 0 from sliding forward to uncouple thelocking-jaw, and at the same time holds the said rear arm in its hookedposition, with the forward wall of the opening or recess b in thedraw-head,serving to relieve the pivot-pin e from a direct strain uponthe same, and also, in case of breakage or other damage to the latter,said rear extension or catch engages the front wall of said opening I)and prevents the locking device from being pulled from its position inthe draw-head B and the locking-jaw from disconnecting with itsengaging-jaw; or, in case of the loss or breakage of both the pivot andcoupling pin, the size and shape of said opening or recess b is such asto allow the locking device C to be pulled a'little forward of itspivot-point, and the rear arm or hook c of the same to move slightlyforward, and thus be prevented from moving or sliding therefrom, as willappear obvious to those skilled in the art. In some instances 1 alsoprovide a pawl F, adapted to be pivoted Within a slot or recess in thewall of the drawhead, as shown in Fig. 3, adapted to engage with notchesc located in the said rear e.\'- tension 0 of the locking device to lockand hold said device in a locked position, (in ad dition to the meansalready described) in connection with the locking-pin, or, in lieu ofthe latter, in case of the loss or breakage of the same, as will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art. The said pawl 1 may beused regularly or be used only in cases of necessity, and when notdesired for use may be hooked back out of position for engagement withthe said extension 0 by a hook or other suitable means and beoperatedthat is, be caused to engage or disengage with the said arm-byhand or by other suitable means.

The locking-pin Dis adapted to be open ated by a lever and connections,substantially as shown and described in a patent granted to me April 10,1887, No. 361,460, or by other suitable means.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a car-eouplen'the combination, with a draw-head provided with twoarms or extension s, and with an openin or recess 5 therein, of anS-shaped, or nearly so, locking device pivoted to one of said arms orextensions, the forward arm of which locking device forms a locking-jawfor connection with an engagingcoupler, and the rear hook-shaped arm ofwhich projects into and is adapted to engage the front wall of the saidopening or recess W, in a manner and for the purpose set forth, and alocking-pin adapted to engage the said locking device, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head provided with twoarms or projections, of an S-shaped locking device hinged to one of saidarms or extensions, provided with a front arm forming the lockingjaw,and a rear arm or extension 0 the latter being provided with notchestherein, and a pawl adapted to engage the notches in said arm 0 of saidlocking device to lock the latter, substantially as described, and forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a ear-coupler, of a draw-head provided with apivoted locking device substantially in form of an S, adapted to formconnection with counterparts or projections, with which such draw-bar isprovided, and retain such connection in the event of the breakage orundue removal of the pivot or locking-pin, or both, in a mannersubstantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

GEO. W. SMI'LLIE. \Vitnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE,

JosnPH M. CRANE.

